Chesterton once said that we tell fairy tales not because they teach us that dragons exist, but because they show us they can be defeated.

Human beings are connected in ways you could hardly imagine. One of them is our gift for telling stories —a thread that runs back to the first men, the first women, and the first winter fires. One of the stories we love most speaks of darkness, fear, and return. Death —since we know so little of what lies beyond— both frightens and fascinates us.

Despite the sorrow that comes with missing those we love, we’ve found delightful ways to honour them. We do it now, at this time of year, when the light fades and the darkness lingers. It doesn’t matter where we live —the feeling is the same.

You might be in Mexico, building altars of flowers and food to welcome the spirits on the Day of the Dead; in Japan, giving thanks while admiring the moon at Tsukimi; or in India, lighting your home with candles during Diwali to drive away the darkness.
Or you might be here, in Spain, marking the end of the harvest with roasted chestnuts while remembering those who are no longer with us: La Castanyada in Catalonia, Magosto in Galicia, Amagüestu in Asturias, Calbote in Extremadura, or Gaztañerre in the Basque Country.

Perhaps that’s why, at Lolita Perrins Books, we love the beginning of November so much —it smells of stories and small rituals, of steaming tea and quiet word puzzles. And if those puzzles also help you learn something new, even better. Discover our Word Search Book to Learn and Improve Your Spanish —made to be enjoyed slowly, one word at a time. Click here and let the story continue.

That’s all for now. Until we read each other again, take care and be happy.